Gorée Island hosts SIRA from 23 October to 15 November
Published on 10/04/2026 at 03:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Gorée Island (Île de Gorée) in Dakar will host the SIRA craft fair from 23 October to 15 November 2026, giving the island a cultural programme that overlaps with the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games. The event brings together exhibitors from Senegal's 14 regions and six neighbouring countries.
SIRA opens on Gorée Island on 23 October
SIRA is the short name used for the Salon de l'Intégration Régionale et Africaine. The organiser, Les Salons de Gorée, says the fair will run on the island from 23 October to 15 November 2026. Its opening is scheduled for 23 October, with Augustin Senghor, the mayor of Gorée, named for the opening ceremony.
The programme centres on regional and African handicrafts. Exhibitors are expected from all 14 regions of Senegal and from six neighbouring countries: Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. The organiser says their regional crafts will be exhibited during the fair. The SIRA programme and dates place the event on Gorée Island and give both its opening day and final day.
Gorée Island's memorial setting frames the fair
The fair takes place on a World Heritage site opposite Dakar. UNESCO describes the island as a place shaped by the contrast between former slave quarters and the houses of slave traders, while also identifying it as a site of remembrance and reconciliation.
Gorée was under Portuguese, Dutch, English and French rule at different periods. UNESCO says the island was a major slave-trading centre on the African coast from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. Its World Heritage inscription followed in 1978, and the island's fortifications, buildings, streets and squares form part of the protected cultural landscape. These facts give SIRA a setting where present-day regional craft is shown alongside a closely preserved historical environment. UNESCO's World Heritage description records the site's location, history and protected status.
Autumn dates connect SIRA with Dakar 2026
SIRA begins eight days before the Summer Youth Olympic Games open on 31 October 2026. The Games continue until 13 November 2026, so the craft fair remains scheduled on Gorée Island through most of that period and ends two days later, on 15 November 2026.
The overlap links a regional craft programme with one of Senegal's largest international sporting occasions without changing the fair's stated focus. SIRA is presented as an exhibition of crafts from Senegal and its neighbouring countries, while Gorée remains the venue and historical setting.
Visiting Gorée Island: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- SIRA is scheduled on Gorée Island from 23 October to 15 November 2026. Its opening is listed for 23 October 2026.
- The fair's stated venue is the island itself, and its programme concerns an exhibition of regional and African handicrafts. No separate access change is given in the published event notice.
- Gorée Island lies opposite Dakar on the coast of Senegal. The UNESCO listing identifies the island as a World Heritage site and describes its streets, squares, fortifications and historic buildings as part of the cultural setting.
- The island's visitor context is primarily historical and memorial: UNESCO identifies former slave quarters, merchants' houses and fortifications among the elements that express its heritage.
- French is the official language of Senegal, and the national currency is the CFA franc.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Gorée Island
When does SIRA take place at Gorée Island?
SIRA is scheduled from 23 October to 15 November 2026, opening on 23 October 2026.
Where is Gorée Island and how do you get there?
Gorée Island lies opposite Dakar, on the coast of Senegal. The event notice identifies the island as the venue, while the published UNESCO description confirms its position opposite the capital.
What is Gorée Island?
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1978, with fortifications, historic buildings, streets and squares linked to the island's history from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century.
